Door-opener.



11.1". SOUTHER.

DOOR OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2s, 1911.4

Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wl TN E 88E 8:

` /iawwwsnwr 1,6 www. r

A Tron/fr B. P. SOUTHER.

DOOR OPENER. 4 APPLICATION FILED MAY 23,

Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Anof'mfr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SOUTHER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

DOOR-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed May 23, 1911. Serial No. 628,947.

my invention is lo provide simple, effective and reliable means to open a door automati cally in response to the effect of the weight of a person when such person approaches close to such door and automatically to close such door after such person has passed ,through and beyond the door-way, and further, to maintain a door in a closed position except at times when a person approaches near or passes through the door-way. I attain this object by devices illustrated in the accom panying diagrammatic drawings in which- Figure 1 shows my invention applied to a door, when such door is closed, by a view in front elevation wherein some parts are shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross-section of my invention on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation with some parts in vertical cross-section showing my invention as applied to a door when such door is open. Fig. 4 is a plan view of same :from line Y Y of Fig. 3.

Like reference numbers indicate like parts throughout the drawing.

Referring to Fig. 1, 5 is a door suspended from a pivoting stud 6, which is fixed to and supported by the carrier 7, said carrier being adapted to travel on grooved wheels 8 along a track 10 which is adapted to vibrate or oscillate on pivoting stud 9 in response to the action of spiral spring 12 and force exerted through cord 13. The pivoting stud 9 is fixed to the wall 29 at a point above the door and near the vertical lin'e X X drawn through the center of the door 5 when said door 5 is closed. The cleats or brackets 11 serve to guide track 10 in its movements. The door 5 suspended from stud 6 is adapted to maintain a vertical position irrespective of the incline or decline of track 10.

21 is a platform movable vertically to a limited extent and located in the path of the door-Way as shown more plainly in Fig. 4. The platform 21 is fixed to a plate 20 which is attached to the top end of a vertical rod 1.9. The rod 19 passes through, extends below and is guided by the hub of a casting 18 which is supported by the plank 30 fastened to the bottom of floor beams 81. A cross beam 31^ serves as an additional support to limit the downward movement of platform 21. 0n the lower end of rod 19 and beneath plank 30 is attached a bearingI plate 17 adapted to engage with the endsl of levers 15 and 23. The lever 15 is fulcrumed on pivot 1G and to its long end' fulcrln'ned on pivot 22 and extends its long end upward to a hole 32 in the door-frame 33 where its curved end 211 is adapted to project through hole 32. The pivot 16 is supported by bracket 2G while pivot 22 is supported by bracket 25. These brackets 25 and 2G are fastened to and supported by the plank 30.

The vertical broken line 28 indicates the right-hand extremity of door-way 34. The flooring 27 in the path of the door-way 341 is cut out and removed, to a sufficient extent in area, to permit the platform 21 freely to move vertically. The platform 21 extends its area on cach side of door-way 34 to such suitable distance as will enable a person to step and stand upon it when door 5 is closed. Normally the upper surface of said platform 21 is in a position higher in elevation than the surface of the floor 27 but when a person stands on said platform 21 it falls to the floor beams 31 when its upper surface will be even with the surface of the floor 27.

Having pointed out the essential features of my invention I will now describe its operation.

The door 5 being closed as shown in Fig. 1, when a person approaches it and steps on platform 21 the weight of such person depresses said platform 21 whereby the force of gravity exerted by such persons weight, acting through the platform 21, plate 20, rod 19, bearing plate 17, lever 15 and cord 13, serves to overcome the retractile force of spring 12 and to pull down the end of track 10 thus making track 10 assume a position in which its end (to which the cord 13 is fastened) is lower than its other end whereby the door 5 may naturally move by reason of its gravity to the position shown in Fig. 3. At the same instant that the end of track 10 is pulled downward by the force exerted through cord 13 in response to a persons presence on platform 21, the bearing plate 17 depresses the short end of lever 28 to cause its curved end 24 to project through hole 22 whereby the door 5 is given a push which helps to open the door. Vhen the said person steps off the platform 21 then the retractile force of spiral spring 12 acts to raise the end of track 10 whereby said track 10 assumes the position shown in Fig. 1 and the door 5 then moves to its closed position.

Obviously the normal vertical position of platform 21 may be made such that its upper surface would be iiush or even with the flooring 27 in which case if a person stepped on platform 21 it would operate to sink lower than the flooring 27.

It is manifest that the plan of construc- -tion shown by the diagrammatic drawing may be varied or modified in many particulars withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In a door opener of the class described, a vertically movable platform disposed within a doorway and extending for a suitable distance on each side thereof, a track supported by a pivot disposed at a point above the middle of said doorway whereby one end of said track shall move upwardly when its other end is moved downwardly and vice-versa, a carrier adapted to travel on said track, a door associated with and suspended by said carrier in such manner that when said door 'is in its normal position to close said doorway then the weight of said door is evenly balanced on, and sus-y tained by, said pivot whereby slight force may be required to tilt said track, a retractile device adapted to be operated to raise one end of said track, and a lever associated with said track and adapted to be operated to pull downwardly said one end of said track in opposition to the force of said re tractile device, in combination with means for communicating motion to said lever in response to a vertical movement of said platform.

2. In a door Opener of the class described, a vertically movable platform disposed within a doorway and extending for a suitable distance on each side thereof, a track supported by a pivot disposed at a point above the middle of said doorway whereby one end of said track shall move upwardly when its other end is moved downwardly and vice-versa, a carrier adapted to travel on said track, a door associated with and suspended by said carrier in such manner that when said door is in its normal position said doorway is closed and the weight of said door is evenly balanced on and sustained by said pivot whereby a slight force may tilt said track, a retractile device associated with said track adapted normally to maintain said track at such tilted position as should cause said door to close by its own gravit-y, and means -associated with said track and said platform whereby a downward movement of said platform may cause said track (in opposition to said retractile force) to move to a position that should cause such door to move by its own gravity Vto open said doorway, in combination with a fulcrumed lever having one end connected with said platform while its other end is adapted to engage the edge of said door whereby a downward movement of said platform will actuate said lever t-o eXert force against said edge of said door to give initial movement thereto in its process of opening which movement is maintained by the doors own gravity.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand this 20th day of April, 1911.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SOUTHER.u

Witnesses J. T. 4 VILMORE, H. M. vWHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

